Environmentalists Want EPA to Set Rules for Oil Dispersant Use

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Earthjustice, an environmental law firm, is asking the Environmental Protection Agency to write rules on how chemical dispersants can be used in future oil spills.

Earthjustice made its petition to EPA on behalf of Gulf of Mexico shrimpers and several environmental groups. The groups want the EPA to require dispersant makers to disclose the ingredients in their products and report the toxicity of their products.

Cynthia Sarthou of the Gulf Restoration Network says the oil industry should never again be allowed to dump hundreds of thousands of gallons of dispersant into the sea as a preferred method of response to an oil spill. The GRN is one of the groups asking EPA for new rules.

Earthjustice also said Wednesday that it planned to sue EPA to force the agency to provide more information about where dispersants can be used and how much is safe.